Recently the Chiefs brought in Washington CB Byron Murphy per Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle. Murphy is regarded as a top CB prospect in the 2019 NFL draft class, and is in conversation to be drafted in the first round. This isn’t the first time the Chiefs have met with Murphy. They had a meeting at the combine, though, Murphy did not specify whether the meeting was formal or informal.

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The 2018 season saw Murphy starting a full 14 game slate. He finished the season with 58 total tackles, four tackles for loss, a forced fumble, 13 passes defended, and four interceptions including one returned for a touchdown. It was a marked improvement from his 2017 season where Murphy appeared in just six games.

Murphy is known as a physical corner, with some highlight-reel tackles, but he also showcased elite coverage skills at the college level. The Washington Huskies defense primarily utilized man coverage and Cover 3 zone concepts in the defensive secondary.

Under Steve Spagnuolo the Chiefs will be playing a significant amount of man coverage, and quite a bit less zone coverage. The good thing with Murphy is that he has experience in off-man, bail, and press coverage. However, Murphy’s size and length raise concerns about his ability in a press heavy scheme.

Another challenge for Murphy is that he tested poorly at the combine with a 4.55 40-yard dash. His position drills were certainly better, but the lack of athleticism is concerning. In the last six NFL drafts, the slowest corners to be drafted in the first round ran a 4.53 40-yard dash.